Coco Fashion Blog » Tissh

Perils of Being a Fashion Designer

gloria — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:22:36 +0000

One of the most often yet difficult questions I get asked is this: What inspires you? That is one loaded question. There are just so many things that can and do inspire me. The beauty that I see in every day life – like the laugh lines I’ve memorized in the face of a good friend, the morning sunlight streaming in between condo buildings, a glint of yellow in a pair of deliciously sweet hazel eyes. As a visual learner, I am dazzled by what I see everyday and I hope I never grow tired of that.

In terms of thinking of a collection for the upcoming season, I take lots of daily experiences to be my inspiration. What better way to be inspired than by living your life fully and taking in all that is around you – sights, sounds, smells, etc.

I also like to think of the wants and needs of the modern woman – who is she, what does she like, where is she going, what is she doing, and what is she wearing. Picturing and visualizing your customer, your “muse”, is an essential part of designing a collection. It tells a story. What does she say to you?

I also like to think of what I would want to wear, how I would like to feel in the clothing and how my personal style shines through.

Inspiration is everywhere, if you take a moment to experience it. The best part is your take on it. How will you express it? I take it all in – or at least I try to. The present moment is all that we have. The past is history and the future is unknown. The present moment right now holds all the possibility in the world. You have control over this moment now. What will you do with it? As for me, I am doing what I love doing and that is expressing myself. The good, the bad and the beautiful ;o)

xoxo

Gloria is an alumna of Coco Fashion Design Centre and is currently in Shanghai working on her collection – tissh by gloria lee.

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The Shanghai Experience

gloria — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:17:00 +0000

Being in a land far from home, where each day brings new challenges and surprises, it is hard to imagine not taking that first step. When you embark on the unknown it’s always somewhat scary, but the exhilarating feeling you get from trying is well worth it.

When I decided to come to Shanghai, I didn’t know what to expect. But getting over the fear of coming and plunging headfirst into the life of what I have dreamed about was inevitable. In this business, you learn to be fearless real fast.

A couple of things that I have learned so far – you have to be very organized and precise with your designs. Your patterns must be production ready and you must consider all the elements of your garments, from the buttons to the fusing to the yield of each piece. When sourcing your materials, you must be willing to do the legwork and comparison shop. There are tons of places around the world to source great fabrics and the exposure will give you inspiration for future collections as well. There are also lots of trade shows to visit; the choices are endless.

And remember to have fun! Fashion is about creative expression and what you want to show to the world. Make it your own!

Until next time ~ feel it live it believe it

Gloria is an alumna of Coco Fashion Design Centre and is currently in Shanghai working on her collection – tissh by gloria lee.

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Congrats Gloria, we are proud of you!

fashion_business_guru — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:54:28 +0000

Take a look at this article about Gloria Lee, a Coco Fashion Design Centre alumni. It is indeed commendable. We must promote designers like her to make Toronto a fashion capital!

http://www.in-color.net/index.php/article/no_shooshing_tissh

-fashion_business_guru

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Rave reviews at fashion show for Coco Fashion alumni!

fashion_mom — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:12:19 +0000

Let’s hear it for Gloria Lee! This Coco Fashion alumni received rave reviews for her Fall/Winter ’09 collection shown this past weekend at Brooklyn Fashion Week(end). Her review can be found at:

http://www.in-color.net/index.php/article/fashion_fusion/

Also click here to get a profile of Gloria Lee (be sure to select image titled “Tissh”) :

http://bkfashionweekend.com/?page_id=1

Next time, maybe we’ll hear from Gloria Lee at New York Fashion Week! We’ll definitely post any updates. And don’t forget to check out Gloria’s cool site (click on the image above).

-fashion_mom

fashion_mom has been interested in fashion from a young age. When she’s not dealing with the challenges of raising her young children she works for OnlineFashionCourses.com.

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